Page:Labour and childhood.djvu/82

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56
LABOUR AND CHILDHOOD

look for it; for self-projection in work—even in work of the roughest kind—represents the something that makes man not merely higher than the beasts, but different from the beasts. Long ago he began to use his hand, as no wing, no talon, no paw of an animal, however powerful, was ever used. He found expression through it, and not in one way alone. For though language[1] and manual work seem to have sprung far apart as representing two very distinct ideals in education, yet there is certainly no ground for this separation from the physical standpoint. Language is not only a projection, but it is a very early and simple one, and was almost certainly at first entirely one with that of the hand. Before words there were sounds, and before sounds gestures. And these gestures were already a preparation for activities whose real meaning was far above their mere immediate end. In short, the impulse that

  1. In an interesting paper on speech defects, Dr. Thomas points out that all the four memory centres dealing with speech and for the performance of delicate actions are stored in the brain in close proximity to one another. This is true also of the visual sense. But, what is even more significant, these centres are supplied with nourishment through the same artery. "It seems likely," writes Dr. Thomas, "that this community of arterial supply is of enormous importance. The great advantage arising from such automatic increase of blood supply is obvious. The right- or left-handedness of articulate beings may be dependent upon this fact."